buckle?

[finderfarthing]

We found this yesterday. Is it a belt buckle? any thoughts or info would be great! Patented 1879 on back.

 

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[duggap]

I think those are neat finds. They are buckle covers to keep the horse's tail from getting caught in the buckle. They date back a long ways but are still made today.

 

[HutSiteDigger]

If I recall someone a few weeks ago posted the exact same buckle in "What Is It" with the 1879 Patent date on it!

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Duggap is right, and so is HutSiteDigger. Here's a scan of the 1879 US Patent's diagram of the horse-harness "buckle shield" (strap-buckle cover), with date and inventor's name. Having a decorative emblem or a cut-out design on it doesn't matter -- it's the object's basic form that matters.

I'll also include a photo showing one just like Finderfarthing's, showing the exact same patent date (Dec. 16, 1879), in full.

Note: For double-magnification If you can't read it, click on the photo once, then when the next version of it appears, click on that one.